Matthew Rees out of Wales v Ireland game

Calf strain

Wales' chances rapidly decreasing.

It's a blow, but we muddled through at the World Cup without him.

where did you find out this info?

(I am refusing to believe it, call it denial if you will )

and why are they always blydi calf strains?!?

Means Ken won't be released to the Scarlets then. Bennett to start, Owens on the bench.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:It's a blow, but we muddled through at the World Cup without him.

We didn't have to muddle through without 5 first choice in the pack though

How many Welshmen missing now - the list seems to be getting very long.

Could someone list the 1st choicers who are missing ?

Thanks

Its on the WRU site RD. Even my confidence has been knocked by that.

Jenkins, Rees, AWJ, Charteris, Lydiate, Priestland, Roberts.


I think that's it Geoff (some may play but tis doubtful)

only ones definitely missing are Gethin, Smiler, AWJ and Charteris.

Roberts, Priestland and lydiate are struggling but only Lydiate is a real doubt I think

TO - a crumbs, was hoping it was just some nast false rumour made up by the Western Fail.

Balls.

He's been so far above the other no2's in Wales this season, he's been in great form since coming back from his neck injury.

I have more faith in Bennett then I used to, but still, our pack is really starting to look vulnerable.

Is it too much to hope he'll pick Owens?? Ireland are going to kick down into our 22 and put pressure on our lineout and it'll be a long afternoon.

Thanks rugbydreamer

Owens' throwing in has been his one slight blip this season though BlueNote. He's not been consistent in that aspect of his game at all. In the scrum and loose though he's been excellent.

Bennett and Owen both can crumble under pressure at the lineout, so it's worrying whatever one we start with.

http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/20967.php

NUTS! that's the only word for it! this really is not good and as dreamer says both Bennett and Owens have weaknesses and are risks in comparison to smiler

Hibbard to be called up to the squad?

I don't think so TO, Smiler's only out for the first 2 games, no?

calf injuries seem to linger though, Id be happier with him than Owens or Bennett as back up.

Well the WRU have said that no-one else will be called up to the training squad

Really TO? Owens is a very good hooker and been playing well - and Bennett has been playing better than Hibbert whose been very poor - I mean it's not like Hibbert is outstanding when he is on form so when he's not on form it's no suprise he'd struggle to get into a squad

Form this season: 1. Smiler, 2.Owens, 3. Bennett, 4. R Thomas (been solid at least) 5. Hibbard/Burns (neither been v good this season)

see I would put it

1. Smiler, 2. Hibbard, 3.Bennett, 4. Owens

Hibbards first choice at the Ospreys at the moment despite Bennett and is better in the scrum imo. However were nbot going to agree on it given our respective loyalties. What we both do agree on is Smiler has been head and shoulders above the rest. sigh

Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

I'd think that Hibbard would be higher up the list too. Considering he would have gone to the world cup as second choice had it not been for injury.

Is Gatland pushing it on this fitness obsession? The question continues to float.

eirebilly wrote:Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

mutter......grumble.......pesky little green sympathy........humbug...........grrrrrr

If Hibbard was fully fit and could last longer then 1 half of rugby (if he can even manage that) I'd have him as my 2nd choice. As it stands though, he isn't fit, and his lineout has been wobbly this season (like Owen)

He's a better scrummager than Owen, but in the loose this season, there's only one winner for me. So yeah a close call, but Owen is ahead of him for me (and I am trying to argue the point without using my monacle here!)

But GoWales before the WC he was playing much, much better than Bennett and Hibbert was in pretty good form, now after the WC he's not in form at all.

Also even before the WC I wanted Owens to go as I think he's got everything you need a hooker to have, but he wouldn't have been considered over Hibbert or Bennett because he didn't have the experience, but since then he's been to the WC and played more games for the Scarlets.

Also Burns has improved from before the WC while Hibbert has gone backwards unfortunately as before last season I did consider him to be Wales 2nd hooker behind Rees

eirebilly wrote:Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

Billy - we don't do confidence very well in Wales. We need to get a few more injuries and then we'll be so down hearted we might actually have a chance of beating you.

It does seem to be the calf quite often.

I'd put both Hibbard and Owens in front of Bennett (although point taken, Dreamer). There's something about Owens, he's got that bit more real aggression than Bennett, although Bennett is brave.

andy powells minder wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

mutter......grumble.......pesky little green sympathy........humbug...........grrrrrr

In fairness, i could'nt pick a winner between the two and am now leaning towards Ireland. Rotton luck for Wales but i am not complaining

offload wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

Billy - we don't do confidence very well in Wales. We need to get a few more injuries and then we'll be so down hearted we might actually have a chance of beating you.

Thats the spirit offload

eirebilly wrote:

andy powells minder wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Starting to feel a bit sorry for Wales, your team is dropping like flys.


On the plus side, i am starting to feel more confident as an Irish fan

mutter......grumble.......pesky little green sympathy........humbug...........grrrrrr

In fairness, i could'nt pick a winner between the two and am now leaning towards Ireland. Rotton luck for Wales but i am not complaining

hmmm believe little green man............only if he doesnt try an sell us some beans............maybe, beans, i like beans, wheres he gone

Mind you - when our second team have given you a good thrashing we'll be so euphoric we won't manage another win !!

Never trust a green man with beans....... or a Culchie with your sheep

What is it with us Welsh and calf strains.

Our chances are decreasing everyday now and with the other three still doubtful it could be a very experimental/changed side.

So this is the likely side now worst case scenario in mind

James - A better scrummager than Jenkins in all honesty but not as good in loose.
Bennett - Never fills me with confidnece but lets hope he can regain his WC form
A Jones - God lets hope he stays fit.
Davies - Was first choice before WC but Charteris over took him so hopefully he can regain form
Evans - Long touted as our great hope but injury prone, dont think this is a backward step with him in.
R Jones - Has done well off the bench, not a Lydiate but bags of experience.
Faletau
Warburton

Phillips
Hook - Needs to prove he can do it at 10

North
Davies
Beck - Form centre and many think he should be playing anyway
Halfpenny

Byrne - Seems to be in form for CLermont, always reliable under high ball lets hope he kicks sensibly.

Ok its not our first team but is it that bad a side it boasts over 500 caps and experience in front row, back row and half backs.

If we field that side then balance is back in Irelands favour but with then at home were we really favourites anyway? I don't think we were, I won't be as confident but still think with bit of luck we could get a result out there.

Not as bothered by this personally, didn't make any difference in NZ and we have more than enough cover at hooker.

Also, this must be gutting for Matthew Rees himself. He missed the World Cup and now he's missing (at least the start of) the Six Nations.

lp,

But what is it about calf strains, we have 3 or 4 carrying them during the WC and wasn't Ryan Jones carrying one few weeks back.

Bedford, whoever the Welsh fitness guru is must be monitoring these things and if there was something they were doing in training that was directly causing these calf injuries, he'd stop them doing it. It might look like a trend but I'd say they're just (very) unfortunate coincidences.

Perhaps Poland turned out to not be a good idea after all. Seems to have had some kind of long term negative impact.

mitey,

Only time will tell I guess but its only Rees who has been injured out there and didn't go to the one before the WC as he had already been ruled out.

The other injuries were pre Poland.

I'm with Mitey on this, I think all the calf strains and little repetitive injuries we're getting is a result of how little rest the players have had since June and with two bouts of high intensity training during that time and an unecessary Oz game I think it's pushed their bodies to breaking point and these injuries are the result - where as other int sides may not be as fit as us, they also aren't having players drop out left right and centre

miteyironpaw wrote:Perhaps Poland turned out to not be a good idea after all. Seems to have had some kind of long term negative impact.

Uh, most of the injuries were suffered before the trip to Gdansk. The only one which has so far occurred during or after it was Rees'.

Don't know what it is about this time of year, just before the 6N is often when injuries hit us hardest. Dare I wonder whether the regional training sessions have something to do with it? Roberts, Priestland, Lydiate and Jenkins all picked up their knocks on regional duty...

Yes but they all picked up knocks playing the game, not in training with the regions.

Sounds psychological to me. Perhaps the fear of failure. Over training in the last few weeks to overcome the impending and impossible odds ...

Knowsit17 wrote:Dare I wonder whether the regional training sessions have something to do with it? Roberts, Priestland, Lydiate and Jenkins all picked up their knocks on regional duty...

No, they got injured playing rugby. It does happen.

Actually, that's fool-proof: stop them playing and they'll never get injured again.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:

Knowsit17 wrote:Dare I wonder whether the regional training sessions have something to do with it? Roberts, Priestland, Lydiate and Jenkins all picked up their knocks on regional duty...

No, they got injured playing rugby. It does happen.

Actually, that's fool-proof: stop them playing and they'll never get injured again.

Ahh not true Luckless I bet some of them would do a 'David Seaman' and injur themselves reaching for the TV remote - and we all know if Andy Powell wasn't playing he'd soon be cutting loose with his golf buggy and end up in a Wales or ramming a police car...

The amount of times he is getting injured before a big tournament, injured so could not take part in the RWC.

And now he gets injured just before the start of the 6ns.

Do you not think that he should consider retireing from international rugby all together. Like Shane Williams did when is body got too old for the sport. at top level i meen.

He's not THAT old - some people get unlucky - its a random calf strain

Tell him to ring Hayes. He might have a solution